The Growth of the Planetary Boundary Layer at a Coastal Site: a Case Study

A lidar system is used to determine the diurnal evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height on a summer day characterized by anticyclonic conditions. The site is located some 15 km distant from the sea, on a peninsula in south-east Italy. Contrary to expectations, the PBL height, after an initial growth consequent to sunrise, ceases to increase about 2 h before noon and then decreases and stabilizes in the afternoon. An interpretation of such anomalous behaviour is provided in terms of trajectories of air parcels towards the lidar site, which are influenced by the sea breeze, leading to a transition from a continental boundary layer to a coastal internal boundary layer. The results are analyzed using mesoscale numerical model simulations and a simple model that allows for a more direct interpretation of experimental results.